Kate on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madrid Spain

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Mary Carmen 6/29/2015

Dear family and friends,

This week was bomb. I love barrio ocho. I love it here. I could live this forever. We had the activity I talked about last time, "the cena international". Boy oh boy. It was a hit and a half. So many people came and we had food from many different countries. Our investigator from New York came! Miracle. And he loved it. He keeps telling me he is home sick and all he wants to do is go back to the USA. So seeing all us Americans decked out in red white and blue made him happy. We also made American apple pie, rice crispy treats, brownies, and peanut butter cookies. The pie made him so happy. Go Merica. We also did a talent show. People sang songs and danced dances from their country. So of course because it was our activity we shared some American talent. Cotton Eye Joe. The ward loved our talent a little too much, and afterwards, everyone wanted to share talents. So it turned into karaoke party. Karaoke in Spain is a thousand times better, because everyone here is tone deaf. Oh this
ward.... No ward like it. This was on Saturday and on Sunday the whole ward kept talking about it. It really was so good because we had a lot of non members there! It's good for them to see that we are normal people.

(Sad thing. My legs are dead. I am soooo sore from Cotton Eye Joe. And we did it for what? 2 minutes? Man I haven't moved like that in a long time.)

Also everyone after the activity kept telling me I had the longest legs they had ever seen. Also they told me when I cheered for the other talents I scream like a pig. I don't know what to think of that. After, they explained that it was in a good way. But, is there a good way to scream like a pig? The first counselor told me I was a great dancer, because my legs are so long and I make funny faces. ? .......

We also found an amazing guy to teach this week! He is so prepared. During the lesson his phone kept ringing and every time he would look at us and say, "Sorry, Satan is trying to stop me from hearing the word of God." Also before we began the lesson, he asked if we could make a following appointment, and right as we sat down to talk, he asked if we could first start with a prayer. In my head I was like "hold up, are you sure the haven't seen missionaries before?" Man he is so been prepared. I'm super excited to meet with him again. He also told us 40 different ways people have tried to kill him, but God keeps preserving his life. That was beyond interesting.

Okay sorry I seem to always tell you the crazy side of my mission, but it's quite a big side. The truth of it all is...I love the mission. I know that God has a timing for everything. I
know I needed to serve a mission not a week sooner or later. I needed to come here and meet and these people from all over the world to become the person God wants me to become. They never will ever quite understand the influence they have in my life. Before my mission, as many as you know, I struggled with the question with whether to go to a semester of college first or a mission. Both good things. But sometimes there are a good, better, and best. I know although I didn't feel quite ready at the time, I know that I needed to come at the time I did. I wish I could explain the things I have, learned, heard and seen. Serving a mission is not a sacrifice. You aren't giving up two years, or a year and a half of your life. People seem to say that all the time. But it's a lie. You ain't giving up anything...but rather gaining so much. Serving a mission is joy.